New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has warned Aaron Woods that he could land himself in hot water with the police over a daring bet with Today host and Queensland Maroons tragic Karl Stefanovic.
The Channel Nine presenter set out the parameters of the bet last week on Triple M, stating that the man from the losing side of Wednesday’s State of Origin II match would have to run along Bondi Beach in the nude.
‘We’re on Karlos,’ Woods had agreed, but after Queensland held on to level the series with a 26-24 victory in Perth last night, Woods was facing the prospect of having to fulfil his end of the wager.
However, he may now have been saved by NSW Premier, Minns, from a trip to the police station, after the politician warned that the act was highly illegal.
The Premier had joined Beau Ryan, Cat Lynch and Woods on Triple M’s Breakfast show to discuss Queensland’s victory, but when asked by the former Wests Tigers prop if he’d like to join him running nude along Bondi, Minns replied laughing: ‘No – it’s highly illegal.’
‘Is it?’ Woods replied, to which Minns said: ‘Yes, absolutely, why is this news to you guys? It’s been illegal forever!’
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns (pictured) has issued a warning to Aaron Woods not to fulfil his end of a bet he had lost on Wednesday night
Woods (right, pictured with Beau Ryan, left, and Cat Lynch, centre) had agreed to a daring bet with Today co-host Kyle Stefanovic to run naked along Bondi Beach if NSW lost
Had Queensland lost, Maroons tragic Stefanovic (left) would have had to uphold the parameters of the bet and run nude on Bondi himself
Ryan then stepped in to say that Woods was shocked when he was told by his co-hosts that the act was illegal.
‘He goes: “What’s illegal?” I go: “You can’t be nude in public”,’ Ryan said.
‘And he’s like: “But at the beach!” I said: “It’s still public. You could get arrested”.’
Minns then added that there were several designated nude beaches in Sydney where Woods could complete the bet without being arrested.
Minns then opened up on the parameters of his bet with Queensland counterpart David Crisafulli, which would see the loser have to do a tourism advert for the opposing state.
Minns told the radio show: ‘Yes so the loser of the series… because we do this thing every year where you fly the flag, and it’s got a bit old.
‘So the loser of the series has to do a tourism AD for the winners.’
Minns then revealed that if New South Wales fail to retain the shield this year, he has a clever plan to still praise his own state and even have a pop at Queensland if he has to feature in the advertisement.
Minns had seen the funny side to the bet, but added that it was seriously illegal before opening up on his Origin bet with Queensland Premier David Crisafulli
Woods, meanwhile, has been at the centre of a storm of controversy this week after he branded Queensland coach Billy Slater a ‘grub’
‘It doesn’t have to be good,’ he added.
‘I can rip Queensland. The best thing about Queensland is that it’s next to New South Wales. There’s no surfing above Noosa. You’ve gotta drink Four X. If you think you’re catching a wave in Cairns… it’s not going to happen…’
New South Wales had taken a 1-0 lead in the series prior to last night’s match but an under-pressure Queensland side hit back with a huge victory at a rain-soaked Optus Stadium in Perth.
Cameron Munster was the stand-out, leading from the front in his first Origin game as captain of the Maroons, notably scoring one try in the match.
The Series will be decided on Wednesday July 9th at the Accor Stadium in Sydney.
Woods, meanwhile, has been at the centre of a storm of controversy this week after he branded Queensland coach Billy Slater a ‘grub’.
Slater later hit back at Woods during his pre-match presser on Tuesday but was later forced to apologise after he had made a shock reference to late Maroons coach, Paul Green, who tragically died in 2022.
